Climate Change Resilience
By Ms. Yvette D’Unienville of the Tuvalu Media Department -
22 July 2015, Nuku’alofa, Tonga, PMC-3 - The small island nation of Niue is taking a different approach to weather and climate awareness. It’s focused on teaching children at an early change in the hope that it will bring about a greater understanding of weather and climate information.
If children grow up understanding the importance of weather and climate, they will be able to make decisions that will help reduce disaster related risks for their families and the community.
That’s the plan now in place in Niue.
Niue's Meteorology Officer, Melissa Talagi Douglas said the island has introduced an Educational Program on Weather and Climate Change for nine year old children.
Douglas shared Niue’s planned activities at the Third Pacific Meteorological Council meeting in Nuku’alofa, Tonga this week.
“The program by the Ministry of Natural Resources of Niue organised two visits to schools to conduct awareness lessons for the children in schools.
“The first awareness training focused on climate change that was accompanied by a poster competition on climate change, while the second visit to the schools concentrated on weather and climate,” said Douglas.
She said children showed very little interest in the topics and were very confused about the difference between weather and climate.
From their engagement with children at school, they found very little interest from school children in becoming meteorologists or working in weather related jobs.
Douglas has suggested that weather and climate change become a compulsory subject in all schools in the Pacific.
She said the people of Niue have learnt from Cyclone Heta, not to ignore warnings. They are actively involved in evacuation drills and other disaster preparation trainings. - #PacMC2015
Ms. Yvette D’Unienville is a Senior Report for the Tuvalu Media Department
This article was developed by a Pacific Media Team of Reporters currently providing coverage on the Third Pacific Meteorological Council in Tonga. This activity coordinated by SPREP is supported by a partnership including the Government of Tonga, SPREP, Finland Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Finnish Meteorological Institute (FMI), World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and the Pacific Media Assistance Scheme (PACMAS).